I’d like to learn more about these mounds. Building into the ground may be a good way of reducing consumption of energy and other resources. There are some videos about Cahokia mounds (near Saint Louis) here and here.

This book was written by Keith Pezzoli, and has a forward by John Friedmann. I’ve heard really good things about it and am hoping to check it out soon.

The review mentions that residents of the Ajusco area, on the outskirts of Mexico City, fought relocation by proposing to create “productive ecology settlements.” I wonder what these are exactly? It’s interesting to consider the many different ways that the concept of environmental sustainability is used to influence policy.

Quoted from the book description at the MIT Press website: In many areas of the world, environmental degradation in and around human settlements is undermining prospects for both socioeconomic justice and ecological sustainability. To explore the issues involved in this worldwide problem, Keith Pezzoli focuses on a dramatic instance of conflict that grew out of the unauthorized penetration of human settlements into the Ajusco greenbelt zone, a vital part of Mexico City’s ecological reserve.

In 2005, the Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC) commissioned Arup engineers to design a demonstration eco-city to be built on Chongming Island across the Yangtze Delta from Shanghai. The island is currently the site of a migratory bird sanctuary. The plan calls for linking the city to the mainland with an 18-mile bridge-tunnel.

According to Arup’s description of the Dongtan Eco-City, it would “produce its own energy from wind, solar, bio-fuel and recycled city waste.” SIIC and Arup hope the city will become a model for similar cities in China and around the world. However, the plan has been criticized based on fears that the housing would be too expensive for local residents, turning the island into a suburb for wealthy citizens of Shanghai. It would also be interesting to determine the environmental impact of the bridge-tunnel and other new construction.

BBC feature: China’s eco-city faces growth challenge

Quoted from “Dongtan: Eco-City” on BBC News: The Chinese are well aware that cities have a massive impact on the environment so they’ve commissioned the British engineering company, Arup to create a model eco-city where half a million people will live and work without damaging the environment. Their electricity will come from wind and wave, their sewage will fertilise the surrounding farmland and their water will be harvested from the skies and recycled.

The European Union has provided the initial investment to station solar plants along the desert shores of the Mediterranean in northern Africa and the Middle East. They hope to significantly reduce their carbon emissions and increase the supply of drinking water in the desert region through a desalination process linked to solar energy production.

Although this process is currently twice as expensive as coal-generated power, plans are underway to reduce costs. Technological innovation and international energy standards could advance similar projects throughout the world. A recent article in Scientific American (January 2008) titled ‘A Solar Grand Plan’ describes a large-scale solar initiative taking shape in the United States.

This picture of a parabolic trough CSP (Concentrating Solar Power) plant in the Nevada desert, along with more pictures and information on the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC), can be found at the TREC-UK website.

Quoted from ‘How Africa’s desert sun can bring Europe power’ in the Guardian (December 2, 2007): Billions of watts of power could be generated this way, enough to provide Europe with a sixth of its electricity needs and to allow it to make significant cuts in its carbon emissions. At the same time, the stations would be used as desalination plants to provide desert countries with desperately needed supplies of fresh water.

The Center for Science and Environment (CSE), a public interest organization in New Delhi, holds classes in urban rainwater harvesting for practitioners. The term “rainwater harvesting” refers to the storage of rain for later use. The CSE program combines traditional water management practices with new technologies. This seems like a practical way of promoting efficient and sustainable natural resource management. I wonder if it would be possible to extend this training to non-practitioners in urban slums.

Photo from the construction page on rainwaterharvesting.org

Quoted from the Urban Rainwater Harvesting page on the Anil Agarwal Green Centre website: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has, over the years, researched and spread awareness about the relevance of rainwater harvesting (RWH) in urban areas. Among its most successful initiatives has been conducting training workshops for various stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), researchers, residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), engineers, architects, urban planners, civic body officials and industry consultants.

The 2007 report assesses progress toward the eight Millennium Development Goals between the years 2000 and 2005. Under “Assure Environmental Sustainability” there is a section on extreme poverty in urban slums.

Rapid urbanization has given rise to increased slum populations throughout the developing world. While cities represent hope for many, destitute conditions severely threaten human well-being. It’s interesting that the section on slums is grouped with the environmental sustainability goals.

Photo from page 9 of the Millennium Development Goals Report 2007

Quoted from the Millennium Development Goals Report 2007 (PDF): Already, nearly half the world’s population live in cities in towns. But due to urban migration and rapid population growth, the number of urban dwellers will continue to expand, from 3.2 billion people today to nearly 5 billion by 2030, with most of the growth taking place in Africa and Asia.

A recent report from the Worldwatch Institute projects that China will meet its ambitious renewable energy goals for 2020 through significant investments in hydro, wind, biomass, and solar power. Of particular note is the use of solar hot water by ten percent of Chinese households, which could affect global energy use as companies begin to export these inexpensive units.

However, Howard French and Li Zhen’s article in the New York Times (part of a series on pollution in China) paints a different picture of China’s renewable energy progress. Titled Far From Beijing’s Reach, Officials Bend Energy Rules, this article identifies widespread breaches of policy at the local level, making it increasingly unlikely that China will meet its energy reduction goals without meaningful intervention by the national government to assure compliance.

This highlights the importance of effective policy enforcement in creating the conditions necessary for sustainable business practices to take root.

Quoted from the Worldwatch Institute’s review of Powering China’s Development: China has become a global leader in renewable energy. It is expected to invest more than $10 billion in new renewable energy capacity in 2007, second only to Germany. Most of this is for small hydropower, solar hot water, and wind power.

Neil Young is retrofitting his 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV with a battery-powered engine and biodiesel backup. He’s planning to drive it to Detroit to raise awareness about the potential of electric vehicles. I really admire his creativity in adapting such a beautiful car in an environmentally friendly way.

Unfortunately, it’s too expensive for most of us to afford a set-up like Neil Young’s. But I hope it becomes less expensive soon. As much as I love public transportation, I can’t see it overtaking the car in the United States, especially, since our living areas are so spread-out. Engineering cost-effective clean transportation seems to be the answer.

Photo by Robert Blane (I hope I have the spelling right)

Quoted from the New York Times article, “Vintage Neil Young, Still Working for the Muse“: Mr. Young’s grizzled face lit up as he described his Linc-Volt. The car is a 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV, a 19-foot, two-ton behemoth. It was a commercial flop in the year of the massive tail fin, and in its original configuration the car is an ecological disaster, guzzling gas and leaving giant black exhaust spots on the ground as it starts up. That’s the Linc part. Volt is because Mr. Young is converting the car to battery power, with a biodiesel engine for backup, and he plans to drive it to its birthplace in Detroit to demonstrate the viability of electric cars. He’s making a movie about the trip.

SustainlaneLane ranked the most populous 50 cities in the United States according to sustainability factors such as commuting, air quality, and green buildings. Their findings and methodology are featured on the SustainLane 2006 US City Rankings web page.